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Rachel Sennott appears on the video call and immediately begins an explanation. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she states, seeming really regretful. Despite being only slightly behind, she wants to explain. “I tend to talk too much during calls. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, during an interview, this is just what is ideal to experience. Besides, it’s pretty unsurprising. Those familiar with the boldly LGBTQ+ and outspoken project titled Bottoms—that she collaborated on with Emma Seligman and starred in alongside her friend the talented actress—will understand that she holds much to discuss, ranging from on identity, sex, or the pros of starting a teen combat group. Furthermore, once you finish her new multi-episode HBO series titled I Love LA, it is clear that she has additional insights on the challenges of Gen Z life (As a millennial, she represents an honorary member for this generation, straddling eras with a knack for bridging both generations).

Inspirations and Creative Vision

The comparisons to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being a fan, citing it alongside the HBO hit, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as guides for her series, which follows the travails of an influencer Tallulah and close companion who is also new representative Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the largest influence on concept went to the popular sitcom, that program depicting a rising A-list actor succeeding in an often-seedy Hollywood (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott began viewing it throughout COVID-19, became “hooked”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.

“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she says. The concept for I Love LA originated—partly—from firsthand, initially fractious, relocation to Los Angeles and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed occurrence for followers. This represented a phase that saw her learn significant truths, work-wise and personally. “In my early 20s I was so messy, crying in public everywhere, all the time,” she admits. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”

Early Beginnings

Raised in the East Coast, the star began creating and acting comedy while studying performance at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”

She decided to act independently, performing at live shows with her friend and posting hilarious (and decidedly) bizarre online content online. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted characters intensely obsessed with pregnancy; another portrayed working at the brand Hollister as akin to being caught in a horror film. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through NYU’s movie community and ultimately featuring in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious dramedy set at a funeral gathering with echoes of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her career, she explains, has been contemporaries offering opportunities, as opposed to established gatekeepers. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she confirms, adding amusedly: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”

Manifesting Dreams

Anyone who were skeptical about Sennott previously will likely be kicking themselves now. Through she labels a “incredibly circular” development, she has manifested the perfect project. A few years back she posted a clip titled “it’s LA” on social media, in which she parodied film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with Emma Barrie) of a comedy about city dwellers managing benefits of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your client being accused of being a drug-addled stealer, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). It would be simple to make a program about internet celebrity that was overly aspirational—or, worse, one that punched down at those depicted. I Love LA does neither, creating a representation of advantaged twentysomething living that’s frank about the mess and the shine.

Empathetic Approach

“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she comments. “I think that young people have been through a lot – I’m mostly thinking of people younger than me, like my little sister, who went to college during Covid, so she had to come home, or my other sister who was doing school online.”|“The younger generation has faced significant